About this episode

James Meads interviews Gaurav Sharma about the challenges and future of procurement technology.

In this episode of The Procurement Software Podcast, James Meads is joined by Gaurav Sharma, Head of Procurement Centre of Excellence at MTN, with a background that uniquely combines procurement expertise and data science. We explore how Gaurav’s journey from category manager to leading digital transformation has shaped his view on procurement technology, user adoption, and the need for more practical, cost-effective solutions. Alongside his corporate role, he introduces his side project, SuperNegotiate, designed to simplify sourcing processes and enable tool-less digitisation for procurement newcomers. Is Procuretech Overpriced and Overhyped? Gaurav shares why many e-sourcing tools fall short of addressing real category manager needs, focusing instead on vanity features. He explains how AI and machine learning are already transforming sourcing, paving the way for outcome-based pricing models and moving procurement away from traditional RFPs. Other topics covered include: Why data science skills are becoming essential in procurement How current tools fail to deliver true user-centric functionality The growing demand for tech-savvy procurement professionals Why outcome-based…

People in this episode

Host: James Meads

Guest: Gaurav Sharma

Topics covered

• procurement technology
• digital transformation
• user adoption
• cost-effective solutions
• AI in procurement
• outcome-based pricing
• data science in procurement

Keywords

• procurement
• e-sourcing tools
• data science
• AI
• machine learning
• digital procurement
• category manager
• outcome-based pricing
• SuperNegotiate

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MTN, SuperNegotiate

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